


The Heart of the Problem

by 18lzytwner



Series: ThunderCats Third Series [8]
Category: Thundercats (1985)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-07-05 15:45:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 22,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15866709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/18lzytwner/pseuds/18lzytwner
Summary: Trouble arises out of an afternoon run and now the clock is ticking to save one they love. Can they do that and defeat the enemy or will things get too complicated?





	1. Chapter 1

The sound of the underbrush being trampled ruined the quiet of the forest. Birds and animals scattered as the first pair of feet were followed by a second. There was shouting and taunting soon followed by laughter.

"You really need to keep up bro," Sahara chuckled as she came to a stop alongside a stream. They had been running in the woods, something they had been doing for the last ten years. They were accompanied by their mother until they'd grown old enough to go on their own.

"I'm moving as fast as I can. How do you do it?" Leo asked as he huffed and puffed before collapsing on the ground.

"I guess I got a little more Cheetah in me than you do," she smirked as she dropped down beside him.

"I guess," he shook his head still trying to catch his breath. He was only two years older than his sister and now a budding adult at the age of twenty. Still he wondered how his eighteen year old sister kept her stamina up at those speeds.

"Well I'd say that this new prosthetic works great. No excess wear or tear and the bottom isn't hot like the last one," the younger litah was glad to see her new limb was working. The last one had melted when she tried running at full speed and she'd almost broken her arm trying to stop herself.

"You sure that one isn't rocket propelled or something?" Leo asked, teasing her.

"That would be awesome but then I'd be lopsided," Sahara chuckled.

"A critical success. You think you could carry me home?" He wondered.

"Are you ok?" She suddenly grew very concerned for her brother.

"I have no idea. I can't seem to catch my breath," Leo admitted.

"I know you're old but you aren't that old," Sahara tried to diffuse the situation with a joke. Leo rolled his eyes but then had to steady himself.

"I'm really dizzy all of a sudden," he said. Sahara helped him lay down and then she grabbed a towel from her backpack and soaked it in cold water from the stream. She placed it on his forehead to cool him down and then grabbed a water bottle out of her bag.

"Have you been hydrating?" She asked.

"I thought I was," he said, his eyes were closed and he tried to slow his breathing. Sahara frowned and checked his pulse. His heart was going almost as fast as their legs had been. She shook her head. This had nothing to do with his hydration. Once again it was into the backpack and she fetched the portable radio.

"This is Sahara calling Cat's Lair. Come in Cat's Lair."

"Cat's Lair here. What's up?" It was Punthar.

"I need a transport to my location ASAP. Something is wrong with Leo," the litah explained. There was silence for about thirty seconds before he came back and said,

"Transport is on its way with a medical team. I've got Pumyra on the line for you."

"Sahara, what's going on?" Pumyra asked.

"Leo's heartrate is super-fast, he's dizzy, and he's having trouble breathing. I know we were running hard but I've never seen him like this," the eighteen year old told her.

"All right. The transport is only a few minutes out. In the meantime, keep an eye on his pulse and his temperature. See if cooling him down helps and make sure he stays awake. I'll get the Med Bay prepped," Pumyra said.

"Ok will do," Sahara said. With that the radio call ended and the litah turned to her brother.

"Now the whole Lair is going to be in a tizzy," he said, his eyes still closed.

"Well you are the Crown Prince," she tried to keep it light as she took the now warm towel away and soaked it again.

"Yes well I think we all know that I'm not next in line to lead the ThunderCats," Leo smirked slightly, his self-deprecating tone obvious.

"I think the future King gets a crack at that job too," Sahara wasn't going to start that argument now. The fact was, the Sword of Omens had chosen her to bond with and had yet to show interest in her brother, the first true heir.

"I can hear the transport," she changed the subject.

"Good because I'm getting really tired," Leo admitted.

"Stay awake. The medics won't want you sleeping on the job," Sahara tried to make sure that he didn't lose consciousness.

"No sleeping on the job? Oh come on now," he joked. The transport was above them and para-rescue Cats jumped out of the airborne vehicle with a medical basket. They carefully secured Leo and sent him up to the waiting medics before grabbing Sahara. The Princess held onto the ThunderGuardsman as they ascended up to the transport and before they knew it, they were off to Cat's Lair.


	2. Chapter 2

Sahara paced outside the examination room where Pumyra and Tygra were busy running tests on her brother. Their mother and father were on business to Third Earth and were coming back as soon as they could but the trip was not a short one. The doors to the Med Bay opened but it didn't register with the litah until she felt arms around her waist, stopping her from pacing. She turned and her face caught a chest that she was quite familiar with.

"Lak," she breathed and threw her arms around the pumiger, giving him a squeeze.

"I heard what happened. Does my mom have any ideas?" He asked, his voice sounded a little off though and Sahara gave him a look.

"My hearing aid is on the fritz again. Panthro is taking a look at it," Lak explained. When the Lair had collapsed thirteen years ago, the then four year old had had his hearing damaged in his right ear. He'd also suffered head trauma and his brain had also swelled, however, most of the time people couldn't tell his brain operated just a little slower than everyone else's. Sahara had latched onto the pumiger once he was out of the hospital and what was friendship soon turned more serious as they grew older.

"I'm just glad you're here. Leo is trying to scare me," the litah said.

"You know how he likes to do that. Older brother and all," Lak winked at her. They stood holding each other for a little while longer until Pumyra exited the exam room. Sahara then let go of her boyfriend and looked at the puma.

"We've run a bunch of tests and we found that Leo's heart rhythm is off. That means when he's running like the two of you do, he's not getting proper blood flow to the rest of his body. Both Tygra and I are going to consult Doctor Ayla over at the hospital. She's our leading heart expert and she can give us more insight into what is going on," Pumyra explained.

"Can I see him?" The litah wanted to know.

"Of course," the puma moved out of her way and Sahara headed into the room leaving Lak alone with his mother.

"Where is your hearing aid?" Pumyra asked.

"Panthro is fiddling with it again. It keeps trying to send what's left of my ear into space with those high pitched screeches. How bad is Leo, really," he wanted to know.

"I can't say with any certainty at this point. This condition didn't develop overnight but it also has never made itself known until now. It's possible something he did aggravated a small problem, turning it into a larger problem. Doctor Ayla will know more," she heaved a sigh. Lak nodded.

"He wants to sleep and Tygra said it wouldn't hurt since he's here under care. I guess I had better get down to the Control Room. Until Mom and Dad get back, I'm in charge," Sahara said.

"I'll come with you. I'm sure your Aunt will want an update as well," Lak smiled slightly and held out his hand, which she took.

"You two be good and I'll let you know when we've heard from Doctor Ayla," Pumyra smiled slightly as she watched them go. She had concerns about her son given what he'd been through but it was obvious he was turning into the young man that both she and Ben-Gali were proud of. She'd barely gotten that thought out of her head when the Lair's alarms went off.

"What's going on?" Sahara asked as she and Lak entered the Control Room.

"I have no idea. The sensors are on the fritz and I can't shut the stupid alarm off," Punthar was trying everything but he couldn't get any of the buttons on the panel to react to his commands. Then just as suddenly as the alarms started, they were silenced. Though during this time, the hairs on Sahara's arms were raised and she could feel something was very wrong.

"What the hell is going on here?" Lea burst into the room.

"I couldn't tell you. All of my systems are now frozen," Punthar frowned, confounded on what was going on.

"My hearing aid was on the fritz, now the alarms are all over the place…" Lak trailed off and Sahara knew he'd had some sort of thought but was having trouble forming the words by the look on his face. She gave the six foot three inch pumiger a look and he finished his thought.

"Some sort of magnetic force is disrupting things. It's not as powerful as an EMP but it's enough to cause dysfunction."

"The Evil Chasers have been predicting a magnetic storm out in space for two days. We usually suffer disruptions because of that. I'll try rebooting the system by the panels down in the hangar," Lea offered before heading out the door.

"Something is off…" Sahara frowned as she let the sentence hang there. She closed her eyes and tried to tap into her sixth sense, something that had become more powerful as she grew older. If she quieted everything in her head, she could use the powerful ability that her mother had bestowed upon her. Lak watched her, trying to see if she could come up with what was going on but she soon opened her eyes and a frowned developed.

"Maybe you need to go somewhere a little quieter to focus," he suggested. The litah shook her head.

"It feels like I'm being blocked somehow," she explained.

"How?" Lak asked.

"I have no idea," Sahara admitted.


	3. Chapter 3

Mandora and Alexei were enjoying a nice quiet dinner at home. The Evil Chaser had retired three years previously and afterwards she moved in with her husband on Mars. Alexei had retired as well but it had been much earlier due to his head injury all those years ago. Then President Zhukov had bestowed the highest honor he could on the Deputy Director by promoting him to Director and allowing him to receive full retirement benefits. However, despite the fact they both had retired, the local police often gave them a call, wanting to run things by them.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Mandora said as she looked across the table at her husband.

"What do you mean?" Alexei was confused.

"I mean I just never pictured life after my job and even though it's been three years, some days I can't believe it," the blonde admitted.

"We are living the dream aren't we?" Alexei smirked.

"One I hadn't pictured for myself," she said.

"Well I'm glad that I changed the picture. Is your call to Pali tonight or are we free for the evening?" He waggled his eyebrows.

"Naughty. Pali is expecting my call but it doesn't have to be a long one," Mandora chuckled.

"I like your thinking," Alexei smirked. He'd barely gotten the thought out of his mouth when the private line rang. It meant that someone was trying to make a secure call to the couple. Mandora grabbed the line and announced,

"Mandora here."

"This is Captain Schroeder. Evil Chaser First Class Pali is not responding to our hails to New Thundera. While there is a magnetic storm that is supposed to roll through the area, it's early," the Captain explained.

"How accurate is the weather forecast?" She wanted to know.

"Updated tracking still has the storm at least an hour out from New Thundera airspace. We've tried raising Cat's Lair but no dice there either," Schroeder sounded like he was on edge.

"Any criminal activity in the area?" Mandora questioned.

"None to our knowledge. The King and Queen are travelling back home from Third Earth early. We received their report because the pilot was concerned about the storm which we confirmed would be out of their way by the time they got there," the Captain explained.

"Well I was intending to try and contact New Thundera shortly. Let me try and then I'll call you back," she said. Planet to planet calling tended to be a more reliable way of reaching people due to their dependence on satellites. Ships, as they floated through space, had to rely on close proximity to their contacts.

"Code number three-three-zero-six. Speak to you soon First Class," with that the call ended and Mandora wasted no time in trying to reach Pali. She dialed his number and got static. She tried again and again but she only got static. Quickly, Mandora called the Captain back.

"Something is hinky. Can you maintain orbit around New Thundera?" She asked.

"We're on a mission, just thought we'd check in to let him know about the storm," Schroeder told her.

"I don't have a direct line to headquarters anymore. Call it in. Code ten-thirteen, officer in need of assistance. I'm heading over there now," Mandora told him.

"Aye, aye First Class. Good luck and be careful," Schroeder ended the call.

"I'll get the gear," Alexei said.

"Just another reason why I love you," Mandora gave a slight smile and leaned over for a quick kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

"Mother sons of…" Punthar started cussing at the control panel from his position underneath it. Lea had tried to reboot the system from the panels down in the hangar and it had not helped.

"I heard that," Ben-Gali teased from his position a few feet away. He too was underneath the panel, helping to check all of the circuits. The magnetic storm would have been in full force by now and the entire planet was cut off until it passed.

"All of these circuits look like they've blown," Punthar heaved a sigh.

"The news isn't any better from down here. It's going to take a few days to get everything back up and running," the white tiger frowned.

"I've got the ThunderGuard on standby. They're going to use hand signals to help ships land. I'll call down to the generator room to see if Cavan and Li-en are having any better luck," the puma told him.

"Good call. The power is on for now but we may need the generator to kick in for power boosting depending on the effects of the storm and how long it lasts," Ben-Gali said. Usually magnetic storms just caused disruption in the satellites, occasionally damaging them. The power generators wouldn't normally be affected but the strange goings on that had fried the Control Room had also damaged the power plant.

"This is Punthar calling Cavan. Come in Cavan," the puma said on the hand held radio.

"Cavan here. If you're doing a status check, we're only getting about seventy percent out of her. Panthro is heading down here because neither Li-en nor I can figure out why," she replied.

"Bugger," Punthar frowned.

"That's more or less what Li-en said right before he took a bath in oil. Dumb thing started spewing when we tried to crank it up. The circuits are away from the spew so they aren't damaged, yet she refuses to give more than seventy percent," Cavan explained.

"I'll get Sahara and have her make the call but I think we need to shut down all non-essential equipment until we can figure this out," the puma told her.

"Aye, aye. Keep us posted, Cavan and Li-en out," with that the call ended and Punthar told Ben-Gali he'd be right back. The puma quickly headed down to the Med Bay where Sahara had been keeping an eye on her brother.

"What's going on?" Lak asked, knowing that the puma's presence wasn't a good sign.

"We've got some electrical difficulties and I need to ask the Princess a few questions. How are things here? Seems like your hearing aid is still not working," Punthar said.

"Panthro says we're going to have to wait for the storm to pass before he can fix it. As for Leo, hard to say. Doctor Ayla has been in there a while," Lak admitted.

"Good news all the way around then," the puma frowned before heading toward the closed door to the Prince's room. He knocked and then poked his head in.

"I hate to interrupt but the Princess is needed for a couple of minutes," he said.

"Understood. Go ahead and I'll keep working with Pumyra and Tygra," Ayla smiled at the litah. She smiled slightly back and thanked the doctor for her help.

"What's going on?" Sahara asked once they were outside the room. Punthar quickly explained and the litah frowned.

"There's a lot of that going on today," he said once he saw her face.

"I bet. Do what you have to do and please send Lynx-O up here if you can spare him. I need his advice," Sahara said.

"Yes ma'am," Punthar nodded and he quickly turned and headed back for the control room. Lak moved over to her and gave her a hug.

"Only a few more hours and your folks will be here," he said.

"I hope so. The doctor says that arrhythmia is pretty common in litahs because of our ability to run so fast but also because of our mixed heritage – Lions typically don't have much exposure to heart troubles but Cheetahs do, given the speeds we can run at and the faster need to pump oxygenated blood through their systems. So because our hearts have a higher rate of resting heartbeat the heart can get out of rhythm. Usually that just means medication and it would even itself back out but she says that the only way to fix Leo's problem is to do surgery. She saw something on the scan that looked like his heart might have had structural changes as he aged. With our power capacity not at full, I can't have her perform the higher resolution scan nor the operation, in case we lose power. In the meantime, they are working to keep Leo stable," she told him.

"Surgery?" Lak didn't like the sound of that.

"I know. I just don't want to make that call before our parents get home but I might not have any choice," Sahara was worried. Lak pulled her closed and gave her a hug. This was a decision that no one wanted to have to make but their hands might be forced if they couldn't get things working properly again. The Med Bay doors opened and in came Lynx-O. He was no longer on active duty, due to his age, but he could help out in situations such as these.

"Princess, you asked for me?" The lynx asked.

"Yes, I did. I need your help," she told him.


	5. Chapter 5

"We have company! Two ships inbound!" Punthar announced via the hand radio. Everyone scrambled about as the ThunderGuard assisted the ships landing via visual signals. The generator was still not working right and even though the magnetic storm had passed, the circuits in the Control Room were still being repaired. They had set up three crews on eight hour shifts, trying to get everything up and running as quickly as possible.

"Who is it?" Lea asked.

"Looks like the King and Queen and Mandora. Was Mandora supposed to be coming in?" The puma raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think so but maybe she knows more than we do. Get Pali on the horn. I'm going to get Sahara," the lioness told him.

"On it," Punthar nodded. Lea left the room and went to fetch her niece, who was down in the Med Bay, keeping an eye on her brother. Before grabbing Sahara though, the lioness pulls Pumyra aside.

"Lion-O and Cheetara are back. How is Leo doing?" Lea wanted to know.

"About as well as can be expected. Doctor Ayla would like to transport him to the hospital so they can use their high resolution scanner and then if they need to, perform surgery. They aren't having the issues we are and she thinks that if we wait too long that we could be asking for trouble," Pumyra explained.

"Sweet Jaga's toothbrush," the lioness heaved a sigh.

"Not exactly the news we were hoping for, I know. Still, Doctor Ayla is very competent and she has offered to let us assist if we wish. She knows this isn't easy," the puma smiled slightly.

"Well she sounds like a good lady and doctor. I'll get Sahara and we'll go from there," Lea patted Pumyra on the shoulder and then went over to Leo's room to get her niece.

The two made their way down toward the hangar and were met by Lion-O and Cheetara out in the hallway. They quickly hugged their daughter and Lion-O handed off the Sword of Omens to his sister. Then the three went off to the Med Bay to get an update and make a decision regarding the Prince's care. Mandora and Alexei turned to Lea, who was now officially acting Leader of New Thundera until Leo's situation was resolved.

"You guys have been busy," the former Evil Chaser said.

"And how. If things weren't bad enough with Leo, our Control Room circuits are fried, the power generators were damaged along with the backup generator, and we're running with all non-essential systems turned off," the lioness explained.

"The landing pad would not seem to be a non-essential item," Alexei said.

"That got fried when the circuits in the Control Room went. What brings you guys here? Pali in need of a checkup? I know that it's been hard on him since his folks passed but that was almost ten years ago," Lea was curious.

"An Evil Chaser battlecruiser tried to give Pali an update regarding the magnetic storm but couldn't get through. I tried and couldn't get through either. The Captain of the battlecruiser has called for backup but they probably won't be here until sometime tomorrow. So I told him that we were heading over to check it out," Mandora told her.

"Well then we better get down to the Control Room. I tried to have Punthar raise Pali on the hand radio. He should have been at the Evil Chaser post," the lioness said as they began to make their way to the Control Room.

"Punthar, what's the news?" Lea asked upon entering the room. Ben-Gali was helping a tech with the circuits and the puma was helping another tech so he crawled out from underneath the control panels and said,

"Pali is on his way over. His office wasn't affected as badly as ours but his special Evil Chaser phone is down."

"Well that explains why I couldn't reach him," Mandora frowned.

"Anyone else feel like you've been targeted?" Alexei spoke up.

"You mean because all of our contact with the rest of space has been cut off? Yeah, we're feeling it," Ben-Gali piped up.

"I suggest a meeting of the minds as soon as possible," the Russian said.

"Oh trust me. Now that the King and Queen are back safely and we aren't expecting anyone else, we'll be holding a meeting as soon as Pali gets here," Lea told them.


	6. Chapter 6

"Leo is being transported to the hospital as we speak along with my parents, Tygra, and Pumyra," Sahara announced to the group in the Conference Room. She'd told her parents about her discussion with Lynx-O and they wanted her to bring everyone up to speed before joining them at the hospital.

"Good. Hopefully they can figure out what is going on," Panthro said.

"Why aren't you with them?" Cavan wanted to know.

"I tried to use my sixth sense earlier and it wasn't working. So I spoke to Lynx-O and he's concerned that there is some sort of magic at play here," the litah explained.

"While I appreciate the concern, I think there is a much simpler explanation," Mandora spoke up.

"We're all ears," Lea said.

"A few years back, I captured a creature who called himself Electroshock. He had the ability to transform from a solid state human being into a form of electricity. He'd disappear into electrical grids and wreak havoc on systems. The only way I caught him was by tricking him into light fixtures that were in a water fountain. I cut the wiring to the lights and he was trapped. In order to serve his prison term, the Penal Planet put him inside a Plexiglas box and submerged the box in water. He tries to escape and he fries," the former Evil Chaser explained.

"So you think this Electroshock has caused our troubles?" Li-en wondered.

"The MO seems to be the same and as far as I know there is no other criminal like him," Mandora said.

"We need to get in touch with the Penal Planet and see if he's still locked up," Lea frowned.

"Evil Chaser backup should be arriving by sometime tomorrow but I don't think we can wait for them. We need to get to a secure line and get a message to the Penal Planet and Evil Chaser headquarters," the blonde told them.

"I can fly to Third Earth and make the call from there," Pali suggested.

"Before we do anything, we need to make sure that we aren't offering this Electroshock a way off the planet. Also, why would he come here? I mean out of all of the choices of planet, why come here to New Thundera?" Sahara asked.

"I have no idea but Electroshock was a hired gun. He would do anything you asked him, for a price," Mandora said.

"So it's possible that there are bigger things at play here and not just something he did on his own. How long can he stay in his electrical form?" Lea wanted to know.

"We found no limit to his ability to remain in electrical charge. Though, he is more powerful in that form. Once in human form, he tuckers out like you or I," the former Evil Chaser explained.

"So if we can find him, we need to keep him from turning into his very mobile self. I'm going to need Ben-Gali out of the Control Room. We need some new weapons," Panthro said. The tiger had stayed in the Control Room to keep working on the circuits along with Punthar and the other techs.

"We'll need another available body to get those circuits back up," Lea told him.

"I've got someone in mind," he gave her a wink.

"All right. Let's get to work on those weapons and see about getting Pali to Third Earth," the lioness ordered.


	7. Chapter 7

"It is as I feared," Doctor Ayla heaved a sigh, looking at the scan results, on the screen in front of her. Pumyra wiggled her chair over to see what the cardiologist was talked about. They had moved into the viewing room after the high resolution body scan had been completed and now were faced with a deadly situation.

"It's slightly enlarged, which is something only medication can help. Am I missing something?" The puma asked. While she had medical skill and was adept at most forms of treatment, she did not have a particular specialty like Ayla did.

"Well you are correct about the enlargement. The issue is that the enlargement has caused a tear in the valve of the lower chamber. That's why his circulation is off. Blood is leaking into places it should not be. Prep him for surgery and I'll explain to the family," the tigress heaved a sigh.

"Very good. I'll alert Tygra as well," Pumyra nodded. The tiger had stayed with Leo to keep an eye on him and now she had to get them both ready for the news she had.

"Great Jaga's ghost," Lion-O heaved a sigh as Ayla explained what was going to happen and how they would handle it. They had been waiting in the ICU waiting room, hoping that things were not as bad as it seemed.

"Be glad that your son is strong and that his sister is as well. Without her assistance in the forest, we might not even be here right now. I'm surprised that Leo hadn't had trouble sooner," the tigress said.

"He already thinks that I'm going to bypass him for leader of the ThunderCats and in the royal line. I wouldn't be surprised if he just didn't tell anyone," Sahara admitted.

"He's more worried about that than his health?" Ayla asked.

"He doesn't want to be viewed as weak. Sahara has a special gift and the Sword seems to be fonder of Sahara. I think he's afraid that he's somehow letting us down," Cheetara spoke up.

"Well perhaps you need to tell him that before we start the surgery. Open heart surgery is very risky business, even for someone who is in the best of health. Say what you need to say and let him know how much you care. It can make a difference," the doctor smiled and then stood up from the seat she'd taken. While she scrubbed up, they could speak to Leo very briefly and a nurse took them to see him.

Meanwhile, Punthar was back to cussing again as he worked under the Control Room panels. Things were taking a long time to get fixed and he was starting to get tired from being on duty for almost sixteen hours straight.

"I'm going to have to start a cussing jar," Lea said as she walked back into the Control Room. She'd been in the hangar with Pali, Mandora, and Alexei. The Evil Chaser and former Evil Chaser had gone off to Third Earth while Alexei stayed behind. He had followed Lea back to the Control Room to see if he could help.

"Might as well throw my whole paycheck in there then," Punthar cracked a joke without crawling out from underneath the panel. Lea reached down and grabbed his leg and the puma looked at her.

"Time for your nap," she said.

"I get a nap?" Punthar asked.

"We can't have you singeing off your fingertips and gluing skin to the circuits. You've earned one. Officer Mihai will be stepping in," she jerked her thumb toward the blynx who was standing behind her with a tool belt on.

"You don't have to tell me twice," the puma crawled out of his workstation and stood up.

"Not at home and not in your skivvies. We set up a bunkroom in the large formal dining room, in case we need you faster than going all the way upstairs," Lea told him.

"Can I at least get my teddy bear?" Punthar asked at which Alexei chuckled. Lea rolled her eyes knowing the puma was joking.

"Lack of sleep is getting to you man. Get some shuteye," she said. With a lazy salute, Punthar was out the door in a hurry.

"How can I help?" Alexei wanted to know.

"Officer Mihai will show you the ropes if you don't mind. I'll get back to helping Panthro down in the hangar," Lea smiled and with that she was out of the room.


	8. Chapter 8

"Feels like the old days," Pali smiled slightly as he piloted the transport to Third Earth. They were halfway to their destination and had been trying to contact any incoming Evil Chaser backup.

"Oh now I feel really old," Mandora chuckled.

"Enjoying retirement?" He asked.

"Semi-retirement. Lately, the local cops often ask our opinions of their cases or they swing by to see how we're doing. We're kind of like local celebrities, which is odd," the blonde said.

"Wow. You can take the Evil Chaser off the force but you can't take the Evil Chaser out of the person," Pali chuckled.

"So it would seem. So how about you? What about that lady friend you talked about last time?" She wanted to know.

"Kyra and I are just friends," he said.

"Son, she doesn't make you a cake and get you coffee in the morning and you're just friends," Mandora gave him a look. It was still something to get used to, seeing her without her helmet on, but he could tell what she meant.

"How could we be anything more? If my looks weren't enough of an obstacle, my Mutant heritage certainly is," he frowned.

"Your tribe didn't see it that way," Mandora reminded him. Pali was about to say something when the radio crackled to life.

"Third Earth Evil Chaser First Class Shay to Transport five-seven-one. Come in five-seven-one."

"This is Pali on Transport five-seven-one, go ahead."

"Evil Chaser Battle Cruiser eight-niner-six-zero is en-route to our airspace in three hours. What is your status?" Shay asked.

"That can't be…" Mandora narrowed her eyes, an uneasy feeling coming over her.

"Eight-niner-six-zero you say? What was their vector from Quadrant one-six?" Pali wanted to know.

"They said they were near Venus when they got the call. Their leave got cancelled," Shay explained. Mandora grabbed Pali's shoulder and mouthed  _Lie to her._  Something was really bothering the former Evil Chaser now. He nodded.

"Bummer. Well we'll be in your orbit in about five hours," Pali told her.

"Roger, over and out," with that the call ended and the Mutant turned to look at Mandora.

"Why did I just lie to a fellow Evil Chaser? One I trust with my life no less," he gave her a look.

"She's under the control of someone else. Battle Cruiser Eight-niner-six-zero was destroyed one year before I retired. I knew that number sounded wrong. She's sending a distress call. The person who has her doesn't know that she just did that," Mandora told him.

"So what do we do? We can't leave her in danger but we certainly can't turn back to New Thundera," Pali said.

"I don't know but we have five hours to figure it out before they'll start to wonder what is going on," she frowned.

"Can we get a secure transmission out from the ship without alerting Third Earth?" The Mutant suddenly asked.

"If we can change the frequency we could," Mandora nodded.

"Change frequency to one-zero-three-point-three," Pali told her. The former Evil Chaser did so and Pali then placed a call.

"This is Starship Commander Robinson Senior calling Starship Commander Robinson Junior. Come in Junior." There was silence.

"This is Starship Commander Robinson Senior calling Starship Commander Robinson Junior. Come in Junior." Pali tried it again.

"This is Junior. Go ahead Senior," came the reply and Pali just chuckled.

"We've got our out," he smirked.


	9. Chapter 9

"Mom! Mom!" Lea could hear someone calling her but the lioness was exhausted. She'd just laid her head down for a quick catnap in the bunkroom and something had already gone sideways.

"What is it?" She moaned.

"I've got Pali on the radio. He says there's trouble on Third Earth," Milo told her.

"There is no way that Mihai and Alexei got the Control Room up," the lioness told him as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. That's when her son shoved his toy radio at her. Panthro had built the crank radio for Milo to play with when he was younger and now it was the only working interplanetary radio due to its high frequency and lack of dependence on electrical current constantly running through it.

"Starship Commander Robinson Senior calling Junior. Come in Junior," at the sound of the Mutant's voice, Lea snapped back to reality.

"Junior here. Commandant is here too," Milo let him know. The two were using the code they used to use when Milo was a young kid. On more than one occasion the Mutant had babysat while Lea and Panthro had a night out and Milo always thought of the Evil Chaser as an older brother. Starship Commander was Milo's favorite when he was five.

"Commandant, good to have you on. First Officer says that the banana is in the tailpipe again. Those darn monkeys are causing trouble," Pali relayed. Lea looked at her son, completely confused.  _Shay is in trouble_ , he mouthed. Inwardly, Lea cursed. It would explain why after the initial attack nothing else had been happening on New Thundera. Third Earth was the target. Milo quickly scrawled a note on a piece of paper and handed it to her for the response.

"Roger. Rendezvous as scheduled. The Gorillas will meet you there," Lea shook her head.

"Roger. Senior, over and out," with that the weird call ended.

"What did I just say?" the lioness asked the fourteen year old.

"That we're sending back up. Dad is stocking the Feliner and they should be able to get take off in five minutes," Milo explained. Lea stood up and grabbed the Sword and Claw Shield.

"Come on," she told him and the two rushed down to the hangar.

"How will you catch up to them? They've got to be near the halfway point already," Lea asked her husband as he was running final checks on the Feliner.

"No time like the present to try my new booster engine," Cavan spoke up. The puma was running final checks of her own.

"I don't like it," Lea shook her head.

"Doesn't sound like we have much of a choice. We have no idea what is waiting for us on Third Earth but whatever it is, it isn't good," Panthro said with a frown.

"Who's going?" His wife wanted to know.

"Me, Cavan, Ben-Gali, and fifteen ThunderGuard soldiers. That's all we can spare right now given Leo's current predicament. We don't have time to update Lion-O so we'll have to go. Evil Chaser backup should be nearby and we'll radio to them to let them know they need to adjust course," the panther told her. Lea frowned but she knew they had little choice.

"Good luck Dad," Milo spoke up.

"Thanks son. Take care of your mother and sister for me," the panther gave him a wink.

"Yes sir!" Milo told him.

"That's my boy," Panthro smiled and then gave both his wife and son a hug before turning to the crew and announcing,

"Mount up!" Everyone climbed on board and soon they were out of the hangar and heading toward space.

"I do not like this one little bit," Lea frowned as she watched them go.


	10. Chapter 10

"Mom! He's waking up!" Sahara was excited to see her brother come around. Doctor Ayla had said that the surgery had gone well but that Leo was not quite out of the woods. Chest surgeries easily get infected given their size and their location so the next few days would be critical. Also, they needed to be sure the surgery had corrected the heart arrhythmia permanently or if the litah would still need medication to help.

"How are you feeling sweetie?" Cheetara asked as she approached the bed.

"Is it Halloween?" He wondered. Both his mother and sister were wearing scrubs and masks to help reduce the chance if him getting something from them.

"No, just a precaution by the doctors. Are you in any pain?" the cheetah wanted to know.

"I feel like I got run over by the ThunderTank," he said.

"I'll get the nurse," Sahara told them and she quickly left the room.

"Where's Dad?" Leo asked.

"He's at the Lair but he'll be back," Cheetara said.

"Didn't want to stick around in case I croaked?" The litah seemed bitter.

"He didn't want to go but Third Earth is in big trouble and the Evil Chaser back up has just arrived," she told him.

"Amala…" Leo grew concerned. His girlfriend of six months had travelled back to Third Earth to visit her parents for a week. The snow leopard did not know of his condition and now he feared for hers.

"Your father is going to see about getting information on her as soon as he can. Luckily, we don't think that whoever is doing this is after anyone but ThunderCats and Evil Chasers," his mother tried to calm him. Sahara walked into the room with a nurse directly behind her. The nurse, who went by the name, Isabelle, smiled, asked Leo some questions, and then injected a dose of pain medication into his IV.

"That will make him sleep for quite a while. When did you last get some sleep or some food?" Isabelle asked.

"I can't remember," Cheetara admitted.

"I'll have some blankets brought in and some of our larger lounging chairs along with some snacks. You don't need to be getting sick," she said before leaving the room.

"Does Dad know how bad things are yet on Third Earth?" Sahara asked.

"I haven't received any calls on the radio so I'm guessing not," the cheetah frowned. They'd been given a radio and a pair of small headphones so they could communicate with the Lair if need be. That's how Lion-O knew to go to the Lair but the silence that they were now receiving was making them both nervous.

Meanwhile, Pali and Mandora were landing on Third Earth. They had lost connection with Milo's little radio so now they were completely cut off. Both hoped that back up was on its way as they finally rested their transport on the landing pad outside Cat's Lair.

"A little weird that no one seems to be greeting us outside," Mandora said as they quickly stashed weapons on their persons inside waistbands and uniforms.

"Yeah just a little creepy especially since they aided us in landing," Pali nodded. They both moved toward the transport's exit and opened the doors.

"Evil Chaser Pali – welcome to Third Earth. I would suggest not trying anything," the cocking of weapons could be heard as the enemy came into view. There were twenty to thirty humanoid creatures that leveled their weapons at the two of them.

"Space pirates," Mandora frowned.

"You'll hand over your weapons or you will be shot where you stand," the man who had been doing all the talking jerked his head at some of his fellow pirates and they quickly searched their new captives.

"Who is in charge here?" Pali asked, seeing if the man was willing to divulge any information.

"You'll see soon enough," the man smirked and the men who had taken away their weapons pushed them toward the Lair.


	11. Chapter 11

Once inside the Lair, Pali and Mandora were led down to the cells where they found the majority of the Lair's support staff. They were shoved into a cell where they found First Class Shay; she'd been beaten and was just moaning on the cell's bed.

"What did you do to her, you bastards?" Pali rounded on their captors and tried to overpower the man who was directly behind him.

"Stop or I do something even worse to someone else in these cells!" The second man shouted and immediately Pali gave up and the man he'd been fighting with hit him across the face with his blaster.

"You're lucky the Captain wants you alive," he sneered before backing out of the cell and slamming the door shut. They were then left alone and Mandora started checking over Shay's injuries.

"I'm no doctor but I know I can't help her much. Why did they do this to you?" Mandora asked.

"I sassed back to them," Shay said, grimacing as she talked. She had to have at least a couple of ribs that were broken.

"Why would you do that?" Pali wanted to know.

"They were going to hurt the children so I just changed their focus," Shay explained. She was, of course, referring to the children who lived in the Lair with their parents.

"Where are the children now?" Mandora asked.

"Safe in the nursery. They were locked in with Snarf Osbert," Shay gritted her teeth. Pali turned to the Thunderians, who numbered fifteen, in the cell next to them.

"Where is the ThunderGuard? How were they overpowered?" He asked, noting he did not see soldiers amongst the group.

"We suffered catastrophic electrical failure. All the ships and weapons stopped working. The pirates landed in their ship and anyone who tried to fight back was killed. The others were shipped off to the Thundrillium mines," a lynx, that Pali recognized as Sai, answered.

"Why would they want Thundrillium? How many of these pirates are there?" Pali wanted to know.

"I have no idea on both questions. The hoards just kept coming out of the sky. They filled the hangar with their ships. We didn't even have enough time to warn the rest of the planet. All the Berbils collapsed but when the electricity suddenly came back on here at the Lair, they didn't wake up," Sai told them.

"The communications are back up. We need to get word out," Mandora said.

"How do you suggest we go about that?" Pali gave her a look.

"We just need to get their attention," the former Evil Chaser smirked. Then she started shouting at the top of her lungs.

"Help! I need help in here!" Sure enough, the guards that were outside the room came running in.

"She stopped breathing!" Mandora indicated to Shay. The Evil Chaser was struggling to breathe, it wasn't technically a lie. Still if their captors were as unfeeling as space pirates often were, they would not have come running. It was obvious to Pali that Mandora was already forming opinions about their captors given her ploy.

The men got the door open and then Pali tackled them both, knocking them to the ground. Mandora jumped on and in a few moments, the two of them had the guards knocked unconscious. Mandora grabbed up their blasters and keys and then they shoved the two of them into the cell they'd just exited. Pali carefully lifted Shay up while Mandora opened the cell next to theirs.

"Do we have anyone with medical training in here?" He asked. Quickly two of the Thunderians came forward and they went for the medical cabinet on the other side of the room. They got her stabilized on the backboard and examined her wounds.

"Leave me and get out of here," Shay told them.

"No chance of that," one of the captives, a tiger, said.

"Come on, everyone out behind us. We're getting everyone out of here. Once free of the Lair, get over to the hospital as soon as you can," Mandora ordered. Quickly the group moved toward the door. Pali used the keypad and punched up a view of the hallway. He opened the door, once he saw it was clear and the group started to move out into the hallway. Quickly, Pali took the lead and they single-filed down the hallway. They were surprised that they didn't bump into anyone as they made their way toward the exit. Their luck however, ran out when a pirate rounded the corner. Mandora blasted him with the blaster she'd confiscated and the group started in a dead-nuts run for the front door. Shay was getting jostled on the backboard but they had no choice if they were going to get out.

The front doors opened and two pirates walked inside to find their captors running straight at them. Pali and Mandora blasted away with the blasters and knocked the two of them down. They stopped at the entrance and made sure the group got outside and was heading for the drawbridge. Then Mandora blasted the drawbridge control panel, forcing the drawbridge to stay open, allowing the others to escape into the city. Then the two turned back inside to head to find the children and get a message to anyone who was listening.


	12. Chapter 12

"How are those booster engines holding up?" Panthro asked Cavan over the radio as they approached Third Earth. The boosters had effectively cut the trip time in half and they were only about an hour behind Pali and Mandora. An hour would still seem like an eternity considering they had no idea what was going on down on the planet's surface.

"Well. I think the trip back will have to be on regular fuel. We've blown through enough Thundrillium to power the ThunderTank for a week," the puma told him from down in the engine room.

"Sweet Jaga's toothbrush," Ben-Gali shook his head from the copilot seat next to Panthro.

"We'll definitely need to refuel before leaving. Let's keep that in mind. We can't come in too hot and land either. Cut the boosters in about twenty minutes, so we can slow our approach," the panther told her.

"Roger," Cavan responded.

"All ThunderGuard to battle stations. Keep your eyes peeled for enemy fighters," Panthro switched the radio to the bunk room and alerted the soldiers they brought with them. Some laser cannons had been installed on the Feliner after the last run in with the Lunatacs.

"Aye, aye Lord Panthro," came the response. Shortly after that, he could see on his control panel that the cannons had been activated.

"You think they'll be expecting us?" Ben-Gali asked.

"I have no idea but hopefully Pali and Mandora have been able to do something to help us out on the ground," the panther said.

"Why Third Earth? I don't see what they gain by going after them instead of us," the tiger frowned.

"I don't either. Perhaps it's only a move because they figure that with less ThunderCats protecting it, it would be a softer target. With us busy fixing our controls and not in contact with anyone, they figure it'd be even easier," Panthro shrugged. Before Ben-Gali could answer a voice came over the radio.

"Lord Panthro, this is Captain Kelley of Evil Chaser Battle Cruiser two-nine-five-one. We are approaching your six o'clock," the voice said.

"Excellent news, you guys have booster engines or something?" The panther couldn't believe their luck as he double checked the radar screen and confirmed the ships' location and outline.

"We're the fastest and newest ship in the fleet and we were more than ready to test out her engines. We're readying the pods for landing on the planet but you know the terrain better than we do. Suggestions for landing?" Kelley asked.

"If they hug tight to the Feliner we can attack any Catapult fire and laser cannon fire with our own weapons. Hopefully minimize damage to the Lair," Panthro explained.

"Roger. Over and out," the call ended and Panthro quickly passed along the info to the others on the ship. He just hoped it would be in time to help those on the planet's surface.

What no one could have known was that Mandora and Pali had locked themselves into the Control Room of the Lair. They only made it that far before the pirates were on their tails. Once inside the Control Room, they disabled the door controls and took out the two pirates that had been left in there with their blasters.

"How long do you think the door will hold?" Mandora hissed as Pali wrapped the laser blaster burn on her upper arm. She'd been grazed by a shot but that had been the worst of it. Although should the pirates, who were now pounding on the door, get through there would be much worse to deal with.

"We better pile stuff in front of the door. No way to know how much longer it will be until help arrives," he told her.

"You do that and I'll try to reach out to any Evil Chasers in the area via the radio," she suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," Pali nodded as he grabbed the nearest piece of equipment and pushed it towards the door. Mandora went to the radio but before she could do anything, the proximity alarm went off.

"Back up has arrived!" She announced to Pali before quickly getting on the radio to contact the Feliner and give them an idea of what they were facing.


	13. Chapter 13

The Feliner and Evil Chaser pods landed near the Lair without difficulty. The Catapult and laser cannons had not been manned by the pirates, figuring they had their men in the Control Room and that they weren't expecting anyone but Pali to arrive. Quickly the ThunderCats, ThunderGuard, and Evil Chasers stormed the Lair, capturing or killing any pirates in their way. Once they reached the Control Room, Panthro worked on getting the door open while Ben-Gali and Cavan took the others to sweep the Lair and flush out any pirates that remained.

"I'll have this door open in a jiffy. Good thing those creeps didn't know about the manual override in the wall next to the door," he remarked.

"You aren't kidding," Pali smiled as the door opened.

"Where is all the support staff?" The panther asked.

"They're safe at the hospital. The young ones are upstairs with Osbert, locked in the nursery," the Mutant explained.

"And the ThunderGuard?" Panthro wanted to know.

"Some are dead, the rest were shipped to the Thundrillium mines," Mandora spoke up.

"The mines? What would they want with them?" The panther was confused.

"No idea. Once I got off the radio with you, I alerted the rest of the planet to be on the lookout. We're got a serious problem though," Mandora told him.

"The Berbils? We saw a few on our way in. They aren't functioning," Panthro frowned.

"They must have been damaged by the electrical issues. We're not sure if we can save them," Pali heaved a sigh. An entire race could potentially be wiped off the face of the planet and they seemed helpless to stop it.

"We have to try and save them and go after the pirates. I mean no offense but why aren't you two dead? I would have assumed that they weren't interested in keeping you alive," Panthro pointed out.

"I can't get a read on these guys. First, they attack New Thundera, using the magnetic storm as cover. Then they land here; subdue everyone by basically frying the circuits in all the weapons, and then they head out to the Thundrillium mines. They obviously don't have a concern about killing but yet they seem to be avoiding it at all costs. One of the pirates said we were lucky that the Captain wanted us alive," Mandora explained. Panthro shook his head; he was just as confused as Mandora.

"Lair sweep is completed. Pirates have all been put in the cells in the basement. No one is talking though," Cavan said as she approached the group. The majority of the ThunderGuard and Evil Chasers were right behind her.

"All right, we're needed out at the Thundrillium mines. That's where they took the other ThunderGuard and I'm guessing this Captain we're looking for is," Panthro explained.

"We'll load up and head out," Ben-Gali nodded.

"Not so fast. I need you, Cavan, Pali, and Mandora working on getting the Berbils back online. They went out when the electrical issues started but they haven't rebooted. If we don't do something soon, we may never be able to get them back. Any Evil Chasers with electronic know how out there?" The panther asked. Five or so raised their hands.

"Stay here and help. The rest of us are off to the Thundrillium mines," Panthro ordered. With that the majority of the group headed outside and to their vehicles. The others quickly went around and collected the Berbils who had been working at the Lair into the Control Room.

"You think we can save them?" Cavan asked Ben-Gali.

"I have no idea," he answered honestly.


	14. Chapter 14

Panthro flew the Feliner toward the mines with the majority of the Evil Chaser pods following right behind. The weapons on board were armed and the ThunderGuard manned the controls. They had no idea what they were going to run into once they cleared the forest and the mines were directly in front of them.

"Lord Panthro, who do you think this Captain is?" the leader of the ThunderGuard contingent, Captain Ashok, a white tiger, asked. He was sitting in the second-in-command's chair.

"Not anyone that is coming to mind but obviously we pissed him off somehow," the panther responded.

"Well he can't know us very well. Harming the Thundrillium mines here doesn't shut down operations. New Thundera could ship it to Third Earth if need be," Ashok pointed out.

"Very true. His intent is probably to harm the planet in some way then. With New Thundera distracted he could wipe Third Earth off the map and we would have been powerless to stop it," Panthro frowned.

"Then with systems on New Thundera damaged and Third Earth gone, New Thundera would be his next target," the Captain said. The panther was about to say something when suddenly the Feliner's systems started squawking.

"What is it?" Ashok asked since the ship seemed to be just fine. Panthro ran a check on all the lights on his control panel and found the culprit.

"The unsteady ground warning. It must have been triggered by us flying so close to the tree tops," Panthro frowned. Their radio crackled to life and over it came Mandora's voice,

"Earthquake!" The panther looked at the tiger and he just shrugged.

"Full booster engines! If we don't get to the mines fast there won't be any mines or planet left!" Panthro commanded. They hadn't had time to refuel and the panther knew that whatever fuel they had left would be gone by the time they arrived at the mines if they used the booster engines but they had no choice if their enemy was doing what Panthro suspected he was doing.

"Aye, aye!" Ashok punched the button and the ship gained speed rapidly.

"Time to the mines now only two minutes," the Captain informed him. The panther knew that the Evil Chaser pods were not as fast but they had him still on their radar and he could see them attempting to pick up their pace.

"Exiting the forest cover! Hang on for a quick descent!" Panthro shouted into the internal communications system. He then had Ashok kill the booster engines.

"Fuel at three gallons! Low fuel warning activated!" The tiger told him. Then the Feliner came under fire from the people on the ground and the ThunderGuard in the back did not wait for an invitation. Quickly they fired back and the people took cover.

"We're coming in too hot!" Ashok watched as the ground grew closer by the moment. Suddenly, Panthro cut the main engines and the ship went silent. He pulled up on the yoke and the Feliner nosed up as the panther then pushed the button for the landing system to kick in. The reverse thrusters activated and the ship began to slow.

"Two gallons of fuel!"

"One gallon of fuel!"

"She's empty! BRACE! BRACE! BRACE!" Ashok announced as the reverse thrusters cut out and the Feliner crashed to the ground. The Evil Chasers were right behind them and they began strafing the ground to keep everyone back from the Feliner. They began to land in shifts as the ground began to shake once more.


	15. Chapter 15

Sahara had been trying to catch up on sleep when she suddenly bolted upright, screaming. She woke her brother, her mother, and she could hear the sounds of the nursing staff as they came running.

"What is it Sahara?" Cheetara asked, knowing her daughter must be feeling what she was only it was more powerful.

"Panthro… the Feliner…" the litah was breathing heavily, trying to reorient herself to where she was and what she'd just seen.

"That doesn't sound good," Leo admitted.

"No, it does not," the cheetah frowned as the nurses busted into the room. The Queen stood up from her chair and said to them,

"I need to call the Lair, immediately."

"Right this way, your Highness," a puma nodded and took her out of the room while Nurse Isabelle went to Sahara's side. She took the younger woman's pulse and checked her over, just as a precaution.

"Are you ok?" She asked concerned to find the litah's pulse racing.

"Sometimes I just wish these visions would go away," Sahara said quietly. The nurse now understood and she frowned. It sounded like she was haunted by the visions gifted to her by the Gods. Cheetara arrived back in the doorway and Isabelle then quickly and quietly took her leave so that they could talk privately.

"Your father is in contact with Mandora. They finally got communications up at the Lair. There are earthquakes on Third Earth and she's lost contact with Panthro and the Feliner," the cheetah told them.

"We have to get over there," Sahara said, getting out of her chair.

"We won't make it there in time. It's up to the Evil Chasers to finish what we started," her mother explained.

"What do you mean?" Leo was starting to get agitated. His girlfriend was still on planet, along with millions of others.

"If the earthquakes are not stopped soon, the planet will begin to fracture. The person that took over the Lair is using the Thundrillium mines as access to get near the planet's core," the cheetah heaved a sigh.

"Great Jaga's ghost," Sahara murmured.

"We have to do something!" Leo was really agitated now and that was not a good place to be given his current state. Isabelle heard him getting upset and she came back into the room and quickly administered a sedative. It was then that Cheetara and Sahara decided that the litah should go to the Lair and see if she could offer any assistance while her mother would stay with Leo. Sahara sped off through the hospital and then to the Lair, quickly arriving inside of the Control Room.

"Mom told me how bad it is. How can I help?" She asked her father, who was standing next to Lea. The two were trying to figure something out but they were coming up empty. Lion-O went over to her and gave her a hug. He honestly had no idea what to say or do and that was not a feeling that happened very often to a ThunderCat. Before he could say anything Mandora popped up on the Control Room screen.

"The earthquakes have stopped but I still can't raise Panthro on the radio," she said.

"I'm getting on a transport now with backup," Lea told her. She hadn't even asked Lion-O but he wasn't going to stop her either.


	16. Chapter 16

The Evil Chasers took out any who got in their way and when they stopped coming, the group split up. Most headed down into the mines while a few headed to the downed Feliner.

"Lord Panthro! Captain Ashok!" Evil Chaser Corporal Stevens shouted, hoping to hear an answer.

"In here!" Came a shout. Quickly the Evil Chasers picked their way through the wreckage. Luckily the Feliner had landed on its bottom. Unluckily, she had hit with such force that the legs and the bottom had been completely obliterated, forcing parts of the ship up into the upper decks. The ThunderGuard soldiers had been easy to retrieve as the shooter's bays, where the controls for the weapons were. However the cockpit was not so lucky. The top of the heavy duty glass had cracked but not shattered. It lay on top of the supports but just barely. The deck had squashed the spaces beneath it. By all rights, the Evil Chasers couldn't believe that anyone in the cockpit had survived.

"Hang in there sirs. We're going to get you out of here," Stevens said.

"What about the men?" Ashok asked, concerned for his soldiers.

"They're already out, no worries there. Evil Chaser First Class Malakai is getting those pirates out of the mines," the corporal explained.

"I'm stuck," Panthro groaned. He'd banged his head in the crash and the room was spinning.

"Not to worry. We'll get this figured out," Stevens remained positive. Carefully, they worked to get the two men free. When they were almost done, there was the sound of blaster fire.

"What's going on out there?" Ashok wanted to know.

"Not sure," the corporal frowned. Now there was shouting, followed by more blaster fire. Stevens sent one of his men to check it out. The man was only gone a few moments when he returned.

"First Class Malakai has the man in custody. He tried to get away but they shot him in the leg," the private explained.

"Well if they could spare a few men, we could use the help," Stevens said.

"They're heading back to the Lair with the captive and the wounded. Malakai said he's leaving the medical staff here and send back a transport," the private told him.

"Excellent," the corporal smiled.

"Is anyone else smelling that?" Ashok suddenly asked.

"Smelling what?" Panthro was confused but that could have been his concussion talking.

"I think you'll need to be more specific. We're at a mine where explosions have been going off and we're in the middle of a wrecked ship," Stevens said.

"Cookies of course," Ashok was confused by their response.

"We have to get him out of here. He must be bleeding into his brain," the corporal alerted his teammates. They worked faster to get the Captain of the ThunderGuard out of the ship. If they didn't hurry he would die.

Meanwhile, Lea pushed the transport as hard as she could. She wanted to get the Third Earth instantaneously but she knew that wasn't possible. Lion-O had wished her well and to let him know how things were going as soon as she could.

"Hang in there Pan. I'm coming," Lea said to the cold stretches of space.


	17. Chapter 17

Lea arrived with thirty ThunderGuard soldiers long after dark on Third Earth. She was greeted by Pali who ushered the group inside the Lair. He explained that all the enemies of Thundera had been captured or killed and that Panthro was in the Med Bay. They'd rushed Captain Ashok off to the hospital where his brain trauma could be better taken care of.

"How bad is Panthro?" Lea asked as they entered the Control Room. Mandora was there along with Cavan, Ben-Gali, and a few Evil Chasers she did not recognize. They were working on the Berbils but the lioness didn't know why.

"He was pinned in the wreckage of the Feliner and has a broken left leg and cuts and scrapes. Otherwise, he's in pretty good shape. You can see him, if you want," Pali smiled.

"Oh thank Jaga," the lioness breathed a sigh of relief.

"However, I think you might want to stop in and see the leader of the group we caught trying to destroy Third Earth," the Evil Chaser told her.

"Don't let her go by herself," Ben-Gali spoke up. He'd lost count of how many Berbils he'd managed to be able to bring back to life and was beginning to get tired from the repair work. They'd been going for almost eight hours and they were finally down to single digit numbers of Berbils per repair worker, except for Mandora who was only working with one hand. Pali had been helping her and therefore she wasn't too far behind.

"Why? Who is it?" Lea wanted to know.

"I'll show you," the Mutant said. The two exited the Control Room and headed down toward the holding cells.

"You guys ever find the cause of the electrical issues?" Lea asked.

"Mandora put a call into the Penal Planet and they say that Electroshock escaped with the help of space pirates. Our guess is that he was needed for his special purpose and then either allowed to leave or our Captain had him offed. There is no evidence that he remains on Third Earth and New Thundera has reported no new issues," Pali explained.

"This Captain has balls. Why would he come after us? I mean I know we have a list of people who would want to see us dead but retaliation in the form of trying to destroy the planet seems like we would remember what we did to deserve that," Lea admitted. The Evil Chaser said nothing and opened the door to the holding cells. Lea moved inside and saw what remained of the space pirates in one cell and a lonely figure in the second cell.

"Come to stare at us like monkeys in a cage have you?" The voice sounded familiar and Lea moved closer.

"It can't be," she shook her head.

"Well well. I didn't think you would have survived but here you are. The boys had fun with you. Probably the last fun they had before you and your ThunderCat friends tried to destroy us," there sat, Captain Kiaan, a vulture and the leader of the Mutants who had captured Lea all those years ago. He had somehow managed to evade capture and now he'd sought his revenge on the ThunderCats. Lea fought the urge to reach through the bars and kill him and also the rising bile in her throat.

"Scum like you is why being a Mutant is no longer a proud thing to be," Pali moved closer and put a hand on Lea's back, to let her know he was right there for her.

"Traitor! You joined the Evil Chasers who oppress your own people!" Kiaan spat at him.

"Me a traitor? You're working with human space pirates! You're very lucky I don't let her in there where she can give you a piece of her mind!" Pali spat back at him before turning to leave the room. Lea glared at the prisoner before turning around to follow him.


	18. Chapter 18

Lea had made an announcement to the entire planet the next morning to let them know that they had caught the culprit for all of the troubles that had been going on. She did not give them all of the details of course. They were hers to know and only hers to share for the time being. The lioness had gone to her husband shortly after visiting the Mutant and he knew that she was struggling to keep it together. Captain Kiaan had been the reason she'd suffered at the hands of his crew.

Panthro had let her climb into his hospital bed with him and held her in his arms. She cried and he tried to find the words to comfort her. Eventually they fell asleep, holding each other tight, knowing that everything that would come next would be hard.

"Lord Ben-Gali, Lady Cavan," a voice came from behind the pair. They were manning the Control Room monitors until the crew returned from the hospital. The group was on their way now that the Lair was secure and Evil Chaser First Class Shay was on the mend. Doctors had explained that she would be at the hospital at least a week and then had to be off duty for at least another two. Mandora and Pali had gone to visit her just a few minutes ago.

"Amala," Cavan smiled slightly and quickly got up to hug the younger snow leopard.

"Glad to see you're ok. I bet you're worried about Leo," the puma said.

"I am. I haven't been able talk to him since I left," Amala admitted. The two women did not know that Ben-Gali was busy calling up New Thundera to see if he could get a status report.

"Well some things have happened but everything I know is a few days old. So we'll put in a call," Cavan smiled. The snow leopard grew concerned, especially since the ThunderCat seemed to be handling her with kid gloves.

"New Thundera here. Ben-Gali you handsome devil!" Punthar was on the other end of the video call.

"Punthar you must be glued to that seat!" Ben-Gali chuckled.

"You know it. Besides, I'm pretty sure your wife wanted me to stay here until we heard from you. Sahara's vision was not giving anyone a warm fuzzy over here," the puma involuntarily shivered.

"We'd have called sooner but things got a little hairy over here. I'll let Lea bring Lion-O up to speed on that. You have an update on Leo. We have a certain someone who'd like to know what is up," the tiger smiled slightly.

"Miss Amala, of course. Let me get Sahara. She just got off the phone with the Queen," Punthar smiled and then disappeared for a second. Ben-Gali got up and offered his chair to the snow leopard and Cavan took her own. He quickly made the excuse that he needed coffee and left the room.

"Amala, Leo will be so relieved that you're ok," the litah smiled.

"Everyone here is making me nervous. What is going on?" The snow leopard asked.

"Leo has a heart condition and he had to have surgery. He's recovering now. The doctors are trying to make sure he doesn't get an infection," Sahara admitted.

"Great Jaga," Amala's hands went to her mouth and tears started to flow. Cavan handed her a tissue.

"We're sorry we couldn't get in touch with you sooner. Leo's been very worried about you," Sahara told her.

"Worried about me? Of course he would be," there was a chuckle as she shook her head.

"He's something isn't he?" The litah chuckled a little too.

"When can I come home to see him?" Amala wanted to know.

"As soon as we can get you here. Talk to my Aunt Lea and I'll let Leo know that we were able to talk," Sahara smiled. Amala was about to say something but she didn't get the chance as the alarms at the Lair went off.

"I've got a prisoner alert!" Cavan shouted and Ben-Gali burst back into the room.

"Kiaan got out?" He asked.

"I'm thinking that isn't what is going on," she grabbed her bow and took off running with Ben-Gali right behind her.


	19. Chapter 19

Cavan and Ben-Gali arrived down in the cells to find Kiaan fighting with not the person they expected. It delayed their reaction only a few moments but they quickly jumped in and pulled Pali off of the prisoner. Cavan quickly made sure the cell door was locked before calling up to the Med Bay for a medic.

"What in Jaga's name are you thinking?" Ben-Gali demanded. Somehow the Evil Chaser had snuck into the Lair without anyone realizing. He had been at the hospital with Mandora visiting Shay and that's when it hit the tiger and the puma at the same time.

"What happened at the hospital?" Cavan asked.

"She was doing better and then we got there this morning and she is in a coma! Those bastards beat her so badly that she was slowly bleeding into her brain. The doctors don't know if she'll recover because they didn't find the bleed in the first body scans. This is his fault!" Pali was enraged.

"So you thought you'd beat the shit out of him?" Lea stood in the doorway. She'd heard the alert and left Panthro to find out what had happened.

"Shay was protecting the children! You of all people should know what he is capable of!" He fired back at her. At that moment, he realized what he said and knew that he could not take it back.

"Seems you have more Mutant in you than I thought, boy. Beating up a prisoner, throwing the fun we had with the missy in her face… you can take the Mutant off Plundarr but you can't take the Mutant out of your DNA, no matter how hard you try," Kiaan laughed from his cell. Pali looked at him and before turning and walking away. Lea walked over to the cell and looked at the prisoner.

"You're lucky I didn't let him finish the job," she snarled and left the room. Ben-Gali and Cavan looked at each other, unsure of what would happen next. The medic arrived and they made sure that the prisoner was treated and then they left the room. Ben-Gali headed back to the Control Room while Cavan went in search of Lea. She found her with Panthro. The puma could tell that the panther knew what was going on and he was not happy.

"Lea, can we talk?" She cut in.

"Not now," the lioness said.

"I'm not asking as a friend," Cavan spoke up, her tone a little harsher than she wanted. Lea's fists clenched.

"You are a Princess and ThunderCat. We need to talk about what just happened and get in front of it," the puma refused to give up.

"Why you…" Panthro started.

"Enough! You know she is right!" Ben-Gali had followed her, having a pretty good idea of where to find them.

"Pali just beat the shit out of the prisoner and then instead of doing something about it, you threatened him! We all know about this guy but we need to remain objective. You know how this will look when the Evil Chasers take him back to the Space Council of Planets for trial!" Cavan continued the white tiger's thought.

"That's it! Everyone out of here! If you're going to continue to yell, take it someplace else! My patients need rest and that includes Lord Panthro!" Doctor Rae, an orange tiger, told them. They gave her a look and she pointed toward the door.

"Out!" The woman was in no mood and quickly the three left the room. Once out in the hallway, Ben-Gali turned to the two females.

"I'm going to find Pali. You two get Mandora over here on the double. We need to handle this and not screw around anymore than we already have," the white tiger frowned and then took off down the hall toward the Control Room, where he could more easily locate the Evil Chaser.

"You heard him," Cavan said as she pointed toward the Lair's exit. As a ThunderCat, Ben-Gali outranked them both, despite Lea's status – she only outranked him when she held the Sword in her hands. Lea heaved a sigh and the two went out in search of a transport to take them to the hospital.


	20. Chapter 20

"You have to understand something about Pali. When a Mutant does something that breaks the law and we're there to arrest them, Pali is usually on the receiving end of comments from both sides. His Mutant brethren always call him a traitor and the local police assume that he's going to be sympathetic to the Mutant cause. So I imagine that once it was discovered that a Mutant had ordered Shay to be hurt and that he'd attempted to harm innocent children, things were boiling just under the surface. Once Shay took a turn, there was no stopping him," Mandora explained. She'd moved the ladies outside of Shay's hospital room and they were talking in the hall.

"As an Evil Chaser, he should've known better," Lea heaved a sigh.

"This from the woman who probably would have done the same thing. I have to admit we all know Panthro would have killed Kiaan, if he'd met him out at that mine. He'd have been within his rights too," the Evil Chaser pointed out. She wasn't wrong. Had Panthro killed Kiaan in battle, no one would have blinked. The Mutant was attempting to destroy Third Earth after all. The fact that it had been the Mutant who ordered the torture of his wife would have gone unnoticed by all except the ThunderCats and a handful of Evil Chasers.

"Regardless, what do we do now?" Cavan wanted to know.

"Nothing. Despite his attempt on Shay's life, the ThunderCats will get first legal crack at Kiaan. He killed your soldiers, destroyed equipment on both Third Earth and New Thundera in an attempt to cover his tracks, and attempted to destroy Third Earth. All of that trumps any charges that we could level against him for Shay or for the escape of Electroshock," Mandora told them.

"But won't he complain about his treatment?" Cavan raised an eyebrow.

"And you can tell him to take it up with the Evil Chasers after his trial. By then he'll have no bruises and will have most likely gotten the death penalty anyway," the blonde shrugged.

"Isn't that a little against the rules?" The puma asked.

"Kind of skirting the edge. Make him a deal he can't refuse and he might shut up," Mandora also offered.

"And what about Pali?" Lea wanted to know.

"Keep him away from the prison cells and you'll be fine. I'll give him a good talking to after we find out if Shay will be ok," the Evil Chaser told them.

"Can do," Cavan nodded.

"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to Shay. I don't want to leave her alone for too long," with that the conversation was over and Mandora went into Shay's hospital room. Lea headed for the nurses' desk and Cavan followed her.

"Excuse me, but what can you tell me about First Officer Shay's condition?" The lioness asked the nurse at the desk. The lynx looked up and upon realizing it was the Princess who was asking, she shot straight up out of her chair.

"She's not in very good shape at the moment. Brain bleeds are notoriously hard to recover from. Even Captain Ashok is struggling and physically he was in better shape when he came in here," the nurse explained.

"Please keep me posted. Send updates to the Lair. I'm sure the King would like to know too," she said.

"Yes, your Highness," the lynx nodded and then both Lea and Cavan headed out. Once they returned to the Lair, they found Ben-Gali with Pali in the Control Room. The lioness quickly explained the situation as Mandora saw it and then she told Pali to go back to hospital and stay there. She then had Ben-Gali make a call to the other Evil Chasers on their ship. She thanked them for their assistance and let them know that she was going to put a call in to Lion-O to see what the status was of their backup. Captain Kelley said they were told to stand by their High Command, given First Officer Shay's condition. Lea thanked them and then ended the call before having Ben-Gali call her brother.


	21. Chapter 21

Lion-O arrived the next day with backup as promised. Cheetara had refused to leave Leo's side and no one faulted her for that. Sahara however, knew she could not sit in the hospital anymore, especially since she could not help her brother. She wanted to know how their prisoner managed to block himself from her powers and she wanted to know how Electroshock had escaped. The Evil Chasers were still on the lookout for him but so far they had come up empty-handed.

"How many casualties?" Lion-O wanted to know once he pulled Lea and Ben-Gali aside in the Conference Room.

"We've got twenty dead and fifty in the hospital with everything from cuts and bruises to broken limbs and Thundrillium burns," Ben-Gali filled him in.

"All the prisoners are accounted for?" The lion asked.

"All of them are locked up. The dead were taken by the Evil Chasers so their information could be added into the intergalactic bad guy database," Lea explained.

"I'm sure Mandora called it something else," her brother chuckled.

"And I'm sure I'd be damned if I could remember it," the lioness chuckled too.

"So what is the plan with Pali?" Lion-O got serious again.

"Mandora talked to him and suggested that you take him back to New Thundera. It would be better for everyone involved if he went home and the trial for Kiaan remained here," his sister said.

"I'll take her advice then. How is Shay and Captain Ashok?" The King was concerned about their friends.

"They're in medically induced comas to try and limit the brain damage. The doctors aren't sure how damaged they are and whether or not they will wake up. Mandora has been temporarily reinstated to active duty to be Third Earth's Evil Chaser liaison until Shay's condition can be determined. In the meantime, Evil Chaser HQ is sending a temporary replacement so Mandora can go home," Ben-Gali spoke up.

"Good thing I brought Alexei along then," Lion-O smiled slightly.

"She could use someone to be with her when we send Pali back home," Lea nodded in agreement.

"Ok then I guess we've got everything covered. Convene a meeting of the Third Earth Council and get the ball rolling on the trial for our prisoners. I'm going to see if I can check in with Ro-Bear-Bill and Ro-Bear-Belle and see how they're doing. Excellent work saving them by the way. There aren't words for how we all were feeling about them back home," Lion-O smiled at Ben-Gali.

"Without Cavan and the Evil Chasers, it would have certainly been a dark day," the tiger nodded. The King clapped him on the shoulder and then headed out of the room in search of the leader of the Berbils. Lea and Ben-Gali got to work with their assignments, both of them looking forward to having this nightmare end.

Meanwhile, Sahara stared down the prisoners. The two guards outside the room had immediately let the Princess in, without questioning why she was there. She approached the Captain, whom she could tell, was trying to figure out who she was and why she was there.

"Inspecting the damage to the prisoner?" He asked.

"Hardly," she replied before closing her eyes. She attempted to see if she could feel anything in the room but her sixth sense remained inactive.

"All right girly. What are you playing at?" Kiaan wanted to know.

"Nothing. It would seem the being I seek is not here. How'd you manage to convince Electroshock to escape the Penal Planet? What exactly could you offer him besides a form of freedom?" Sahara asked after opening her eyes.

"Nice try girly but I won't go incriminating myself," he said.

"Prison break is hardly the worst charge against you. Destruction of Third Earth gives you about three million counts of attempted murder. Your eternal soul will be serving your prison term long after your dead," she smirked. Of course there was no comeback for that. She was right after all and he knew it.

"Death is only the beginning sweetheart," that was not what she expected to hear from him.

"If you're expecting your ancient Mutant Gods to save you, I figure they're too busy," she said. Now she could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up. The conversation had triggered her sixth sense somehow. Suddenly she did not feel safe.

"Sword of Omens! Come to my hand!" She called out. They could both hear the roar from inside the Lair. Within a few moments the Sword had left her father and found its way to her hands. The guards ran into the room to see what was going on.

"So you are the blood of Lion-O, King of Thundera, Lord of the ThunderCats," Kiaan smirked as if he knew something she didn't.

"And you are not who you say you are," Sahara knew that the Sword's movements would have attracted attention by everyone, especially her father and they would be inside the room to help her and the two guards.

"This vessel was convenient. The added bonus was its knowledge of the one you call Lea," the Mutant Captain was obviously not who she was speaking to anymore. The Sword growled in her hands and the litah did the only thing she could think of at the moment. Leveling the Sword at the being she shouted,

"HO!"


	22. Chapter 22

Lion-O went racing back inside the Lair. The only reason the Sword would have left him would have been because either Lea or Sahara called to it. When he met the lioness in the hallway, he started to run faster. His daughter was in trouble.

They made it down to the prison cells with all able bodied ThunderCats and ThunderGuard behind them. There they found Sahara doing battle with Kiaan. However, Lion-O immediately noticed that there was no way a normal Mutant would have been able to withstand the force of the energy blasts coming from the Sword. He tried to get closer to his daughter but could not as the Sword growled, forcing him back, as if there was some sort of field around the litah.

"Sahara!" He shouted to her and she turned her head. She could see that backup had arrived but she knew she couldn't let go of the Sword. Whatever had possessed the Mutant had great strength and giving an inch to him could spell disaster. Then an idea struck her.

"HO!" She let forth an almost feral cry and another large blast came from the Sword. Lion-O pushed everyone back, not sure what was about to happen. Sahara saw Kiaan fall down and she took her opportunity.

"Thunder… Thunder… Thunder… ThunderCats HO!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. The Cat Symbol emerged from the Sword and swallowed the Mutant. It was then that the true foe emerged from the body of its host, leaving Kiaan unconscious and slumped on the floor. It looked like a rat but one that walked on two legs. The creature growled and snarled and the litah almost froze in fear, never having seen a creature such as the one before her. Suddenly, there was a voice inside her head,  _I am here little one_. She did not recognize the voice but just as quickly as it had spoken, Sahara realized that she was no longer in control of her own body.

"Be gone unholy demon! Back to the pits of hell from whence you came!" The voice was hers but she had not said these words.

"Ah Jaga, come to play have you?" The creature knew who was there.

"Ratilla! I defeated you before and I will do it again!" Jaga's thoughts once again left the litah's body as her own.

"In the body of that tiny female? I doubt it," Ratilla smirked and floated through the bars.

"HO!" Again the Sword blasted at its enemy but given its now astral form the weapon did not work.

"NO!" Lion-O knew what was coming next and he dove at his daughter at the same moment that Ratilla tried to take over her body. The Lord of the ThunderCats slumped to the floor but only for a moment or two.

"This body is much more adequate," Ratilla chuckled.

"Get out!" Sahara shouted and the Sword shot a blast at its master. However, Lion-O used the Claw Shield to deflect the blast.

"Not so easy now, is it?" Ratilla smirked before he called out, "Sword of Omens come to my hand!" At the sound of that, Lea jumped next to Sahara and helped her grip the Sword as it tried to pull away.

"Sword of Omens, obey me! You're one true master!" The litah shouted. At that the Sword stopped fighting her. It roared like no one had ever heard before and they it let loose the Cat Symbol. Suddenly, both Sahara and Lion-O slumped to the floor and Jaga appeared in his astral form right next to Ratilla. The Sword slid into his hands as if it had never left, joining him in his astral state.

"Fight me you coward!" Jaga challenged.

"With pleasure!" Ratilla charged at him.


	23. Chapter 23

"Everyone get out!" Lea ordered to the backup that had arrived and they did as they were told. The lioness had no idea how this was going to play out but she knew that it wasn't going to be good. Diving for her niece, she felt for a pulse and found one. That was one little miracle but she couldn't wake her and that bothered her. Jaga must have been using her strength to keep up the fight against his old enemy. Of course, this meant that Sahara would be in trouble. If Ratilla was using Lion-O for strength, the lion would easily outlast his daughter.

Lea crawled to her brother and her suspicions were confirmed. The lion had a pulse but he would not wake up. As far as she knew, the only way to end the fight would be to have Jaga win. However, as soon as she had that thought, she wondered what would happen to Lion-O once Ratilla was sent back to the Astral Plane. There was only one person whom she thought might be able to help but she didn't know how to get his attention.

Suddenly the room filled with a bright blinding light and Lea covered her eyes. When she tried to open them she found that she was having trouble seeing. Her hearing was not impaired however and the sounds of battle raged on. Jaga and Ratilla were locked in combat and from what she could understand they were not showing signs of slowing down.

Coughing drew her attention back to her family members and she rubbed her eyes trying to clear them. The images around her were still blurry but she could tell that it was not Lion-O who was coughing.

"Oi! She doesn't look so good!" It was one of the prisoners from the cell behind her. She was surprised that they had not been affected by the bright light and wondered if the light only affected those connected to the Sword. Another thought crossed her mind - the prisoners hadn't suddenly grown a conscience but given their situation, what would it do for them to lie. More coughing came from the direction of her niece and Lea tried to scramble over to her.

Her hand suddenly came in contact with something wet and she lifted her hand to find it had changed color.  _Blood_ … the lioness's heart sank and she tried to see if she could help the young Cat. Between her still foggy eyes and her now blood-soaked hand, she struggled to find out what was going on. Another cough from Sahara and that's when Lea realized there was nothing she could do. All the bleeding was internal. Jaga was losing and there was nothing that the lioness could do.

"Hang in there Sahara. You're stronger than Ratilla. You're stronger than all of us here. Fight!" Lea urged the younger litah.

Meanwhile, back on New Thundera, Cheetara was developing a migraine. That didn't usually happen unless her sixth sense was trying to convey something to her. She stood from her seat next to Leo and went for the sink in the corner of the room. Splashing some cool water on her face, she then grabbed a towel and tried to focus. It was becoming harder and harder which just meant that her mind was in a far off place and her brain was trying to keep her rooted. Leo could tell that she was struggling and he pressed his call button. He didn't want her to pass out and hit her head.

"Cheetara…." The familiar voice seemed to call from the mirror that was above the sink.

"Sahara needs help," she murmured as the image of Wizz-Ra appeared in the mirror.

"Consider it done," the Ancient Egyptian wizard disappeared just as a nurse had come running. Cheetara grabbed onto the sink, feeling her knees buckle. The nurse rushed over to her and helped her back into the chair she'd left. Her migraine was gone but she grew concerned about her daughter and her family. Perhaps it was best that she didn't know exactly what was happening on Third Earth.


	24. Chapter 24

Lea awoke to find herself lying in the Med Bay. Her sight had returned but her head was pounding. How had she gotten there? What happened to Sahara and Lion-O? The lioness quickly pushed the call button and within moments Nurse Mae, a lynx, came into the room.

"Thank Jaga you're awake. How are you feeling?" She asked.

"My head is killing me," Lea managed and then suddenly the room went dark.

"Does that help?" Mae wanted to know.

"A little," the lioness told her. Mae just nodded and then came up to her to check Lea's pupils.

"Your eyes are still struggling to adjust. I'd say darkness and trying not to focus on too much for the day or so. Hopefully they'll be better soon," the nurse said.

"What about Lion-O and Sahara?" Lea asked.

"To be honest I'm not sure I could explain it. However, I do have someone who wants to see you," Mae motioned to someone at the door and they came in.

"Trying to give me a heart attack weren't you?" Panthro spoke up.

"You know me. It wouldn't be a party if I didn't," the lioness chuckled and then regretted it as her head hurt.

"All right, take it easy you two. I'll give you five minutes then it's back to bed and sleep," Mae told them before leaving the room.

"What happened? How'd I get here? What about Lion-O and Sahara?" Lea asked.

"The soldiers brought you and the two of them down here a few hours ago. You have some temporary blindness and general soreness but otherwise the doctors couldn't find anything wrong with you. As for Lion-O and Sahara, I'm still not sure how this all works but Jaga defeated Ratilla with a little help from Wizz-Ra. Sahara is in pretty bad shape and admittedly Lion-O isn't much better, though Pumyra and Tygra think they'll recover just fine," he explained.

"Great Jaga's ghost," the lioness heaved a sigh and cringed.

"Wizz-Ra had just enough energy to land on our side of the plane in human form so I'm sure he'll be able to explain everything once he's had some rest," Panthro told her.

"How did this Ratilla escape the Astral Plane? How likely is it that we have more people playing with the dark arts?" His wife wanted to know.

"That's the sixty-four thousand dollar question. I think we'll know more once everyone is awake and able to talk. In the meantime, Kiaan and his men are now being shipped to the Penal Planet. Mandora decided it was best to have the Evil Chasers take custody and charge them with everything. Kiaan seems to be completely unaware of how he managed to even end up on Third Earth so luckily for Pali, he can't squawk about getting beat up," Panthro smiled slightly.

"So even though things seem over, they really aren't," Lea frowned.

"It wouldn't be a party if it was, right?" He smirked. She shook her head slightly, wincing as she did so.

"Sleep beautiful and I'll be back later," Panthro promised. Lea smiled slightly as her eyelids began to droop. Nurse Mae came into the room and wheeled the panther out of the room.

Back on New Thundera, Cheetara breathed only a tiny sigh of relief. She'd received news that the fight was over but everyone was still in recovery. The true extent of the injuries to her husband and daughter were still really not known since neither one had regained consciousness yet.

"It's been a rough couple of weeks, hasn't it?" Leo asked.

"That's putting it mildly," his mother laughed mirthlessly.

"It'll all be better soon," he said.

"It usual does get better," Cheetara smiled slightly. There was a knock at the door and the cheetah let whoever was there in.

"Someone wanted to visit," the nurse smiled and in walked a certain snow leopard.

"Amala," Leo beamed.

"You scared me half to death you know," she said.

"You should join our club, we have jackets," Cheetara joked. They laughed at that and the girl quickly got caught up on her boyfriend's condition.


	25. Chapter 25

Sahara moaned as her mind slowly regained consciousness. It felt like she'd been run over by a transport. She hesitated to open her eyes, not sure where she'd find herself. Then a hand touched her arm, a familiar hand.

"I'm here," Lak whispered as he watched her heave a large sigh.

"Everything hurts," her voice came out barely above a whisper and she still hadn't opened her eyes.

"I bet it does. Let me get you some water," he offered. Sahara nodded and she slowly tried to open her eyes.

"It's too bright," she told him, immediately squeezing her eyes shut. The litah heard him cross the floor and flick the light switch. Now she slowly opened her eyes and they adjusted to the darkness of the room.

"Thanks," she smiled slightly.

"Of course," Lak smiled back. He then moved the adjustable bed so she'd be more in a sitting up position. Then he handed her a pink cup with some water.

"Better?" He asked.

"Much. What happened? Am I back on New Thundera?" Sahara wanted to know.

"I made the trip. When Amala landed back home, I decided I needed to come here. I'm glad I did. You like scaring me, don't you?" Lak smirked.

"You know that's how I do," she teased.

"I'm glad you're going to be ok. Your dad still hasn't woken up but you've been out for three days so I'm sure he'll come around soon. As for what really happened, I think that Wizz-Ra will be better equipped to tell you," he explained.

"That explains a lot actually," Sahara said.

"Yeah I didn't understand half of what Lady Lea said so how does me telling you practically nothing help?" Lak was confused.

"Sorry. Jaga and Wizz-Ra were in my head. Ratilla escaped the Astral Plane and he ended up in my dad's body. As one of the strongest wielders of the Sword, it took the three of us to break the combined strength of Ratilla and my dad," she told him.

"Ah ha. Still doesn't explain how Ratilla got out and managed to find the only Mutant in the galaxy that would cause Lady Lea to feel vulnerable," her boyfriend said.

"Yes that is a bit of a mystery," Sahara suddenly felt very sleepy and she yawned. Lak nudged her over and climbed into the bed next to her. He pushed the button to flatten the bed back out before snuggling under the covers with his girlfriend. As he wrapped an arm around her, he heard her whisper something,

"I love you." They hadn't said that to each other yet. Despite having his fixed hearing aid in, he wondered if he'd heard right. Moments passed and in that time, he knew that he didn't care, if that's what she actually said. Placing a kiss on her temple, Lak whispered back,

"I love you too." He fell asleep holding onto her, so glad that she was going to be all right.

Later, when the nurses found them, they didn't disturb them. Instead one of them went to get Wizz-Ra to let him know that Sahara had woken up. He was glad to hear it and quickly asked about Lion-O. Unfortunately the lion was still unconscious which worried the Wizard.

"It may be time for another brain scan and for a little magic intervention," he said.


	26. Chapter 26

"Wha' 'appened?" a groggy Lion-O asked later that day. Wizz-Ra chuckled a little bit as the nurses checked over the King. They had left the lights off, afraid that his eyes would not handle them. The nurses got him some water and checked over his vitals, noting that he seemed to be in the same boat as his daughter.

"It's a long story. How are you feeling?" The ancient wizard wanted to know.

"Like I got ran over by the ThunderTank," the lion admitted.

"Not surprising and almost the same thing your daughter said," Wizz-Ra commented.

"How is she?" Lion-O wondered.

"She's resting and on the road to recovery and so are you but it may take a bit. There was a lot of magic and body-hopping involved," the Egyptian said.

"That sounds about right. Does Lea have the Sword?" The lion asked.

"She does. She's assumed command until you are back on your feet. There are bigger fish to fry and she's using Mandora and Pali for help in finding them," Wizz-Ra explained.

"How is it possible that Ratilla escaped the Astral Plane? How did he manage to find Kiaan?" More questions from the intrepid leader of Third Earth and New Thundera.

"While you were sleeping and before he and his crew were shipped to the Penal Planet, I used my talents to discover that Kiaan was hiding out in space with his crew of space misfits when they ran into an abandoned space ship. Figuring they could salvage metal and other materials, they boarded it. Kiaan's memory gets foggy after that so I had to interrogate his remaining crew to see what they had to say. Most of them noticed a change in his behavior but they didn't question it. They figured it was a big raid to pillage and plunder," Wizz-Ra told him.

"And that Electroshock guy?" Lion-O could barely keep his eyes open at this point. Much like Sahara, he needed more rest.

"Kiaan said they broke him out because he owed them money. The original intention for him was to help Kiaan get his money. Right up until they stumbled onto that ship, then things changed," the wizard explained.

"Then that makes sense. So who freed Ratilla and why?" The lion wanted to know.

"If I had a piece of silver for every time someone asked me that," Wizz-Ra teased. Lion-O chuckled before saying,

"Perhaps the Sword has more answers."

"Perhaps it does. Rest now young Lion-O. I will take things from here," the wizard smiled and then left the room to visit Sahara. He found the litah and her boyfriend sitting on her bed, talking and holding one another. The lights were on, which meant that Sahara was recovering a little bit faster than he father.

"Pardon my intrusion, young Princess, Master Lakshmana," the wizard said. The two separated and smiled at him.

"Nothing so formal, Wizz-Ra, Lak will do just fine," the pumiger slipped out of the bed and extended a hand for the ancient Egyptian to shake.

"I think that will do for now, though I imagine the next time I visit, things will be different," the man said, shaking his hand.

"How do you mean?" Sahara gave him a look, unsure of where he was going with that comment.

"I cannot reveal what the Gods have told me. I can only pray they come true. That aside, I have need of your sixth sense, if you are up to it, Sahara," Wizz-Ra changed the subject. She gave him a look before asking,

"Do you think I can, given how much I feel like I was hit by a bus?"

"Oh I do believe you can. The Sword will only respond to you and it will know what you felt when Jaga needed to step forward and help you. I believe this to be the only way to catch whom we seek," he said.

"Then fetch my aunt and we will begin," Sahara smiled slightly.


	27. Chapter 27

"Are we sure we should be doing this? I mean she just woke up," Lea gave the Ancient Egyptian a look as they walked down the hall toward the Med Bay.

"We need to do this now while any connection may exist. Ratilla didn't get out of the Astral Plane on his own. Only the Sword or someone with powers like my own could pull him out," Wizz-Ra told her.

"That makes me nervous," the lioness admitted.

"You aren't the only one," Cavan said as she ran up to the two.

"What's going on?" Lea wanted to know.

"The Evil Chasers aren't having much luck tracking anyone down that meets our suspect's criteria. They're hoping that we've had better luck. Also, they want to know how Shay is doing," the puma told them.

"Ok well we're working on leads with Sahara. Get over to the hospital and let Mandora know that her former employers are looking to hear from her," the lioness ordered.

"You've got it," with that Cavan turned and headed out toward the Lair's exit.

"How is poor Shay?" Wizz-Ra wanted to know.

"She's not doing well. Her injuries were much more severe than Captain Ashok's. The doctors are worried that she might be permanently brain damaged," Lea heaved a sigh.

"When we're done here, I should like to go and see her. Sometimes the brain needs a helping hand," the wizard said.

"We would all appreciate that, Mandora especially, if we get a lead out of this," the lioness smiled.

"Absolutely. Not a problem," Wizz-Ra smiled as they entered the Med Bay. Nurse Mae walked up to them and quickly explained that she'd just gotten off the phone with Pumyra and Tygra who had been wanting to check in on Lion-O and Sahara. Also, they wanted to relay that Leo was growing stronger every day and they believed that he would soon be moved out of the ICU.

"That is good to hear," Lea smiled.

"You guys don't do anything at half speed do you?" Wizz-Ra asked.

"What fun would that be?" The lioness chuckled.

"I hear my wife," Panthro came wheeling around the corner in his wheelchair. His leg was getting better but he was experiencing some swelling.

"Lord Panthro! You have strict orders to keep your leg elevated!" Nurse Mae gave him a look.

"He can't help himself," Lea smirked at the nurse before turning to her husband.

"Annoying the medical staff again are we?" She asked.

"I miss you," he told her.

"Things have been nutty around her. I promise I'll swing by later. We have to get to Sahara and see if she can use the Sword to figure out who freed Ratilla," the lioness explained.

"Off saving the world while I'm starved for attention. I see how it is," Panthro teased. Wizz-Ra chuckled and so did the nurse.

"I am a terrible wife, aren't I?" Lea chuckled.

"The worst," the panther chuckled. Lea leaned down and gave him a quick kiss before she and Wizz-Ra headed down to Sahara's room.

"She's such a tease," Panthro laughed.

"She's not your biggest problem right now," Mae gave him a look. The panther suddenly looked sheepish and turned his wheelchair around to head for his room.

"Knock knock," Lea said as she and Wizz-Ra stood in the doorway to the litah's room.

"Can't a man get a moment with his woman?" Lak wanted to know for which he got slapped playfully by Sahara.

"When this is all over, I promise," she said.

"Yes ma'am," he winked at her.

"Hopefully this will be over sooner than everyone thinks," Wizz-Ra told them. Sahara held out her hand and the Sword left the Claw Shield on her Aunt's hip and came to her.

"Well that's new," Lea was very surprised that the litah did not have to call for the mystical weapon.

"It certainly is," Wizz-Ra and Lak said at the same time. Sahara just brushed it off as the Eye growled. Closing her eyes, the litah tried to call out to her sixth sense which seemed energized since the Sword reached her palm. Despite all of that, she still saw nothing but blackness.

"Something is blocking me again. Just like before," she told them when she opened her eyes.

"Sixth sense constipation?" Wizz-Ra asked.

"So it would seem," Sahara frowned.

"Interesting," the wizard said.

"Not really. It doesn't help us," the litah gave him a look.

"On the contrary little one. It helps us a lot," Wizz-Ra smirked.


	28. Chapter 28

Wizz-Ra had gone to the hospital to see Evil Chaser First Class Shay and then he made his way back to the Lair. The interplanetary police officer was as the doctors said, not in good shape. They were trying everything they could to figure out how to wake her up and test her brain function but so far nothing had worked. Using his sorcery, Wizz-Ra entered her mind and discovered that underneath all of the damage was a brain that was working on some level, just a very primitive one. He attempted a healing spell that the ancients had used and told the doctors to come get him if her condition changed. They were all thankful for his help and hoped that it would be the spark Shay needed to begin recovery.

"You think she'll pull through?" Lea asked after he explained the situation. They had met in the conference room so they could have a little privacy.

"She's a tough one. I think she will though brain injuries are tricky and we must brace ourselves if not," Wizz-Ra cautioned.

"Of course. Everyone just appreciates that you tried. Speaking of trying, what about our suspect?" The lioness wanted to know.

"I believe that the best way to handle the situation is to introduce Sahara and myself to the Book of Omens," he said.

"You must be out of your mind," Lea gave him a look.

"No, I believe it to be the only way to find the one we seek," Wizz-Ra was confused by her reaction.

"The last time Lion-O went in there he almost died. I'm not sending my niece in there," she told him.

"You forget of whom you speak. If anyone could get the Book to listen it is Sahara. She and the Sword are practically one. She doesn't even need to speak to it for it to listen to her. Her powers grow stronger every day so the only way they are being blocked is by someone even more powerful than her and there are only two beings that I can fathom who can do that," the ancient Egyptian explained.

"Who?" Lea was not sure whom he could mean. Mumm-Ra was the first who came to mind but they had vanquished him a long time ago.

"The Ancient Spirits of Evil and the Book of Omens itself," Wizz-Ra said.

"The Ancient Spirits were destroyed and the Book… how could that be?" The lioness was only getting more confused by the wizard.

"While the physical beings that represented the Ancient Spirits of Evil may have been destroyed, they continue to exist. Evil is never vanquished entirely. It lives through those that do its deeds. So the Astral Plane is where they reside which would make freeing Ratilla much easier. As for the Book of Omens, it would do anything to protect itself; including take out anyone it felt was more powerful than itself," Wizz-Ra clarified.

"It does have a bit of a vindictive side. One big problem though. The Book is on New Thundera. Why would it try to destroy Third Earth?" Lea asked.

"It would remain safe if Third Earth was imperiled. It knows the history between Jaga and Ratilla. Choosing Third Earth as a distraction would almost ensure that the young princess would travel to it. Look at the havoc wreaked by Ratilla. He almost killed Sahara and Lion-O. That would mean the Sword would fall to you. Obviously, the Book doesn't see you as a threat. Possibly because of your breeding," he told her.

"Well then maybe it's time it realized just with whom it was messing with. I'll have a transport ready to leave within the hour," Lea said.

"Excellent. I'll go explain to Sahara and Lion-O," Wizz-Ra smiled slightly.


	29. Chapter 29

Since Sahara needed the Sword to enter the Book of Omens, it was decided that Lion-O would remain on Third Earth. He was doing better but was still not one hundred percent and if Wizz-Ra's theory about the book was correct, having the current Lord of the ThunderCats and his daughter attempting to gang up on it, the Book may do something rash. Though Lion-O did get a good chuckle out of the Book thinking his half-sister wasn't a threat. Panthro wanted to come with them but Nurse Mae quickly put a stop to that. That left Ben-Gali and Cavan in charge on Third Earth while Lea, Wizz-Ra, Sahara, and Lak traveled to Third Earth.

They had arrived at night and decided that first thing in the morning would be best to attempt anything. They would need all of their strength and wits to try and figure out if the Book was the enemy or if there were other fish they needed to fry. Lea headed to the Control Room to bring everyone up to speed while Sahara and Lak showed Wizz-Ra to a room he could use for the duration of their stay.

"Well have a good night you two. Behave yourselves," the ancient Egyptian smirked before closing his door.

"Why do I get the feeling he knows something we don't?" Lak raised an eyebrow as they both stared at his closed door.

"Because he probably does," the litah chuckled as they headed down the hall toward her room. The door opened and Sahara walked inside and as per usual, Lak stopped at the door.

"I guess this is goodnight," he said. Sahara grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him into the room, the door closing behind him.

"What just happened?" He asked.

"I invited you in," she smirked with a slight chuckle, not letting him go.

"I'm pretty sure that this is against the rules," Lak swallowed hard. Both his parents and Sahara's had been adamant about how the relationship had some ground rules. One of them had included that the door to her room was to remain open when they were visiting with each other.

"I'm pretty sure both of my parents are otherwise occupied as are yours," she pointed out.

"That may be true but I like my hide just the way it is. I would really rather not defy the King and Queen. Besides, once my parents found out it would be worse," he teased, the two of them knowing that Ben-Gali and Pumyra were just as adamant as her parents.

"Sometimes the risk is worth it," the litah said.

"You sure you're feeling well? You've never been one to completely flout the rules," Lak replied. They were still only inches apart and he was beginning to feel warm. While they had kissed before, they hadn't gone much further than that.

"I'm eighteen, I have more power than I know what to do with, and the Sword listens better to me than anyone else, including my father. I think I could break some rules, now and again," Sahara smirked.

"This is true. Technically, you're older than me, so I have to do what you say," he smirked right back.

"Why Lakshmana, are you saying I'm a bad influence?" The litah said in mocked horror.

"The worst, your Highness," Lak chuckled and then grabbed her shoulders, pulling her close and pressing his lips against hers. Soon the rules were forgotten and so was everything else except for the other person in the room.

Lea meandered down the hall toward the Artifact Room where the Book of Omens was kept along with other important treasures from Thundera before the planet's destruction. She looked at the Book and wondered just why it was threatened by Sahara. Of course, no one could explain why her powers were so great. Cheetara had often surmised between her gifts and the ability to wield the Sword that the combination had created something that had not often been seen before, if at all. Unfortunately, the one person who may have been able to explain it, Lion-O's father Claudus, died on Thundera. He was the last keeper of all of the old knowledge, something that not even Jaga knew all of. Now, that old knowledge threatened to try and take out what it viewed as a threat instead of an ally.

"There is a lot swirling around in that head of yours. I could hear it from down the hall," Lynx-O spoke up, startling her.

"Yes, there is a lot swirling around in there," she chuckled.

"Not to worry, Lea. Sahara is strong enough to handle this, just as we all are. She will find a way to end this," he said.

"That I am sure of," the lioness smiled.


	30. Chapter 30

Lea walked into the Artifact Room after making sure Layna and Milo had made it down to breakfast. The fourteen year old twins had been glad to see their mother and worried that their father wasn't with her. She'd quickly explained the situation and they were relieved to know that Panthro was recovering well and as soon as this was all over, he'd be home.

"What is so funny?" The lioness asked as she watched Wizz-Ra chuckling while both the teenagers in the room looked embarrassed. Immediately the laughter stopped and the two teenagers looked like deer in headlights.

"I was just teasing those two. Nothing I'm sure you haven't done with them," the ancient Egyptian said.

"Uh huh," Lea made a mental note to talk with the two of them when this was all over. Wizz-Ra was not one for dirty jokes so the look of embarrassment had to mean something else.

"Lak, I'm afraid this is where you get off. The train into the Book of Omens can only take wizards and Sword wielders," she said, continuing on.

"Just wanted to wish you all good luck," he smiled slightly, kissed Sahara on the cheek and then left the room, practically tripping over himself as he went.

"Right…" the lioness raised an eyebrow but it went seemingly unnoticed by Wizz-Ra and Sahara. The wizard was helping her to get the Book to let them in and her aunt quickly moved next to them.

"Hold tight. Not sure what will happen if we don't all land together," Wizz-Ra instructed. The Book sucked them all in and they landed on top of one another in front of the columns which the dragons were perched on.

"WHO DARES DISTURB MY SLUMBER?" The Book roared.

"Princess Sahara, daughter of Lion-O, heir to the Throne of New Thundera," the litah announced.

"BUT YOU ARE NOT ALONE LITTLE ONE," the Book pointed out.

"ThunderCat Leanna, sister to Lion-O," the lioness said.

"Wizz-Ra, sorcerer for Pharaoh Khafre, Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom," the wizard said.

"THE GREAT SPHINX LET YOU OUT OF THE SEVENTH DIMENSION WIZARD?" The Book was curious.

"After it was discovered that Mumm-Ra had been the one who had scarred him, the Great Sphinx released his curse. Though by then, it was too late. Out of my own time, with no home to return to, I now assist the ThunderCats as much as I can from the Seventh Dimension," Wizz-Ra explained.

"SO YOU HAVE COME TO SEE IF I AM THE ONE WHO RELEASED RATILLA AND DO BATTLE, IF NECESSARY," the Book knew of their plans, which shocked all three of them.

"If necessary," Sahara spoke up.

"I WOULD BE OFFENDED BY YOUR ACCUSATION LITTLE ONE IF I DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY YOU THINK SO," Lea looked at her niece who seemed just as confused as she was. Thunder boomed and suddenly out of the dark walked a Lioness, dressed in white robes, carrying a staff. Wizz-Ra put a protective hand in front of the litah, not sure what trickery was this.

"I am Bast, Daughter of Ra, protector of the knowledge of the Ancient Ones, worshipped by Thundera," the lioness announced. At this, Whizz-Ra fell to one knee, his vision pointed to the ground.

"Forgive me Bast, Daughter of Ra." He said.

"No need great wizard. You were only looking out for the Princess. For that you should never ask for forgiveness. Rise servant of Ra and Pharaoh Khafre, son of the Old Kingdom," Bast told him. He slowly rose up and Bast continued,

"Sahara, Princess of New Thundera, you are special but I suppose you already knew that. What you do not know, is that I am the reason you are the way you are. It was foretold many centuries ago by my father that there would be one who was destined to save the universe from utter destruction. This one would wield a mighty sword and possess the magic held within the pages of the Book of Omens. It is why you and the Sword have such a connection. It is why you are more powerful than your parents. Every time you hold the Sword, it channels me to you, lending you more and more of my knowledge. Soon you will know all that the Book contains and I will cease to exist, forever locked inside your head, so that you may save us all." Sahara wobbled on her feet and Wizz-Ra grabbed her. It was a lot to absorb. Bast moved toward her and rested a hand on her shoulder and Sahara could feel power coursing through her.

"You have chosen a mate wisely. From the day he was born, Lakshmana has been my soldier. While others see his disabilities, you saw him for what he truly is, a warrior, a protector. My father often said that those who do not truly see what is in another's heart than they truly do not know what the other is capable of. Never lose sight of Lakshmana, for he will never lose sight of you. Stand tall little one for the battle is just beginning," the lioness said. She then moved to Lea, whose eyes had been as big as saucers for the last few minutes.

"Daughter of Claudus, sister to Lion-O, you are one of the fiercest warriors that I have had the privilege to watch over. Sometimes one must travel through the gates of Hell before one finds the heaven they seek. I am sorry for your journey but it will serve you well in what is to come. Look out for the little one. She will need your wisdom and your protection," Bast told her.

"I…" there was so much going on in the lioness's head. Anger over her past, anger that no one had protected her or saved her, but on some level, she also felt at peace, which she could not understand. Bast reached for her Kamas, speaking in a language that only Wizz-Ra understood.

"These will serve you well and act as if I was wielding them myself," she smiled at Lea before heading back to Wizz-Ra.

"You have served my father, your Pharaoh, and the ThunderCats well, wizard. My father rewards those who serve him. Upon leaving this Book, you will no longer have to return to the Seventh Dimension. You may stay among the ThunderCats and when the time finally comes you will be able to meet Anubis. I know that the ones you loved are long gone from this plane of existence and I am truly sorry for your suffering and their suffering. One does not question Ra and his wisdom, one only follows it, and you have proved yourself worthy many times over," Bast told him.

"Thank you great Bast. Ra and you be praised," the wizard smiled.

"Now there is one more thing before you go. Your enemy lies with the Ancient Spirits of Evil. As you have pointed out, Wizz-Ra, just because Mumm-Ra is gone, does not mean evil does not exist. They have found a new champion and they will be coming for the Sword. It may not be today or tomorrow or the next day but be assured that they are coming," Bast said.

"Who is their new champion? We have defeated Zaxx and Ta-She," Sahara told her.

"Zaxx was just a test. Their new champion will only make himself known when they believe they are ready to strike. Even I cannot see what they are up to," the goddess frowned.

"Now why does that make me nervous?" Lea asked with a nervous chuckle.


	31. Epilogue

Three weeks would pass before Leo was released from the hospital and into Pumyra's care. Amala had barely left his side since returning from Third Earth and the snow leopard was grateful that he was on the mend. Now the two were enjoying a quiet moment to themselves as Pumyra had left the room to confer with Doctor Ayla on what was the next course of action.

"I'm not sure that I could have survived this without you," Leo suddenly said.

"Leo, you had your family here. Despite what you think, they love you, and they were very worried about you. Your mother never left your side. I'm not even sure how she went to the bathroom," Amala gave him a look.

"That's not what I mean," he told her, reaching for her hand which she gave him.

"You're going to need to spell it out for me, I'm afraid," she said. They both knew that the snow leopard had an idea of what he was getting at and that she was obviously testing him. Amala had been top of her class at the ThunderCats academy and the graduation ceremony had been where they had met. He'd waited another few months to ask her out though as she was sent home to Third Earth for leave before she was to officially start her training under Pumyra's watchful eye.

"Look I know we haven't been together long and I know that this might sound crazy but I love you and I don't want to wait anymore," the litah semi sort of explained.

"Wait for what? Leo, you know that I love you too but you're starting to freak me out again. Unless you want me in the bed next to you, getting hooked up to your heart monitor, I suggest you come out with it," there was that no nonsense snow leopard he knew and loved.

"Sorry I'm late!" Sahara suddenly burst into the room.  
"Better late than never sis," Leo chuckled as she closed the door behind her. Amala narrowed her eyes and looked back and forth between the two of them. They were up to something. That's when Sahara moved over to her and handed her brother something. The snow leopard remained quiet, absorbing everything they were doing. Her eyes went wide when Leo handed her the item that his sister had given him.

"I would have wanted to do this properly but Pumyra figures it'll be at least a few more weeks before I'm back on my feet properly. Amala, will you do me the honor of becoming my Princess?" Leo asked. The snow leopard looked down in her hand and there was a ring, gold with tiny diamonds circling a larger one, nothing too extravagant which was just her style.

"You crazy litah," Amala said, slipping the ring on before leaning over him and kissing him soundly on the lips. Sahara made a disgusted face until they pulled apart, mostly because they were setting off the heart monitor, which caused Pumyra to come running. When she came bursting through the door, she saw Amala moving away from her patient.

"Do I want to know what was going on in here?" The puma asked.

"I just asked Amala to marry me. I'm guessing from that kiss, she is saying 'yes'," Leo smiled for which he got a playful smack on the arm.

"Of course it means yes," Amala said.

"Congratulations!" Pumyra hugged her student and then her patient.

"I'm going to tell Mom and Dad," Sahara said. Before anyone could get a word in edgewise she took off looking for her parents. It had been a weird three weeks – learning she was to somehow prevent the universes destruction, learning that the Ancient Spirits of Evil were definitely alive and well, and that Wizz-Ra would be on hand to help, was a lot to process. Little moments like these she relished, fearing what would come next. She had every right to fear what was coming next for it would test her to her very limits and reveal to her just what she was capable of.

**T** **h** **e End**


End file.
